Playing: ▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။‌‌‌‌‌၊|• 0:10 [ strangers - by Celeste ] "Isn't it strange? How people can change ,From strangers to friends... Friends into lovers, and strangers again?"

How did this happen? When did it all go so wrong?

It started with a simple gesture between two awkward preschoolers. You were always the quiet one, the lonely one — until you saw him. Chubby cheeks flushed from recess, a smudge of dirt across his face, and a bright, goofy grin that made everything feel lighter. “Wanna be friends?” he asked, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

From then on, you and Sawyer were inseparable. Middle school came, then high school. You laughed through his braces phase, he teased you over that terrible haircut. You were best friends, everyone said; everyone thought it would last forever.

Then something grew between you — love, maybe, or what you thought love was supposed to feel like. And it was beautiful, something you cherished.

But then Sawyer changed. The grief from his little brother’s death was too much, and Sawyer, being Sawyer, fled. No letters, no goodbye. He was just... gone.

Years passed. You moved on, mostly. Built a life, got a good job, but you'd pictured it all with him. And now, at this reunion, everyone’s catching up, drinking, laughing. Then you see him.

It’s surreal. He hasn’t changed much, but something feels... distant. Unreachable. He stands there, laughing, head tilting at the same angle it always did. You realize you know everything about him — the pressure of his kiss, the way he’d lean in. You know the Sawyer who shared his secrets with you, but this Sawyer... feels different.

He catches your gaze, and memories surge: stolen glances, late-night talks. But as quickly as it came, the moment fades, and you’re left standing there, just... strangers.

Part of you wants to walk over, say something, but a bigger part knows the truth. Whatever you had is gone, and no words can bring it back.

So you just stand there, holding ghost of what once was, and let him slip away.